1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for transporting boats and, more particularly, to dollies especially adapted for transporting a small boat to and from a launch area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people own and operate their own boats for recreation and leisure. When a boat is not in use, it must be stored somewhere. For a large boat, a berth at a dock may be employed. However, for a small boat, a berth at a dock is not practical and would be excessively costly. Often, a small boat is stored at a user's residence, and the small boat is transported to a body of water when the boat is to be used.
Two common modes of transport are used for small boats. In one mode of transport, a trailer is pulled behind a motor vehicle, and the small boat is placed on the trailer. In another mode of transport, the small boat is carried directly on the motor vehicle. For example, the small boat may be placed on a roof rack.
An advantage of using a boat trailer is that the trailer can be backed into the water for easy launching of the small boat. A number of disadvantages, however, are associated with the use of a boat trailer. For example, a boat trailer can be quite expensive Also, a boat trailer must be stored when it is not in use. In addition, when a trailer is pulled by a motor vehicle, the driver of the motor vehicle must have skills that the driver may not ordinarily have. For example, the driver of the motor vehicle must have skill in making turns with the trailer. The driver of the motor vehicle must have skill in backing up with a trailer. In fact, however, many drivers are not used to trailer towing and are not skilled in making turns with a trailer and are not skilled in backing up with a trailer.
When a boat is carried directly by the motor vehicle, one problem occurs. That is, without having the small boat on some form of wheeled carriage, it may be difficult to launch the boat in the water. To solve this problem, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to wheeled devices or dollies which enable a user to wheel a small boat to a body of water and to launch the small boat in the body of water. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 4,059,282; 4,214,774; 4,392,665; 4,550,925; and 5,000,468.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,282 discloses a boat dolly that attached to the bow of a boat placed in an upside orientation. Two disadvantages are associated with the use of this device. First, the boat must be turned upside down when this device is used. Second, the bow area of the boat is relatively narrow compared to the remainder of the boat. As a result, it may be difficult to balance the boat on the wheels placed at the bow. The difficulty in balancing the entire weight of the boat on the narrow bow may be likened to balancing the weight of a wheel barrow and its contents on the one wheel of the wheel barrow. Wheel barrows are highly susceptible to tipping over as would be a boat supported on a bow wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,774 discloses a two-wheeled boat carrier and launcher that: employs a very long handle used by a user for controlling motion of a small boat on the carrier. Such a long handle must be assembled for use and disassembled when not in use for convenient storage. Moreover, the handle also serves as a slender longitudinal support for the small boat on the carriage. Such a slender longitudinal support places the boat in a position of being susceptible to tipping over, especially on rough terrain between the motor vehicle and the body of water. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device for transporting a small boat from a motor vehicle to a body of water did not employ a very long handle that serves as a longitudinal support for the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,665 discloses a boat dolly that employs ropes for launching a boat when the boat is oriented on its bottom on the dolly. A plurality of ropes has a well-known tendency to form undesirable knots together. In this respect, it would be desirable if a boat dolly device were provided that does not employ a plurality of ropes that can become knotted to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,925 discloses a boat dolly that is adapted to be secured to a center skeg which connects a right hull portion to a left hull portion of a multihull boat. This device is not adaptable to a single hull boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,468 discloses a boat dolly in a laterally vertical orientation. The device has a pair of spaced frame member which form a pocket or cradle for holding the boat. In addition, the dolly has a stabilizing bar for engaging the topmost beam of the boat or to which an elastic member is attached for securing the topmost beam. One disadvantage associated with this device is that the pair of spaced frame members are quite long and take up considerable storage space when the device is not in use. Another disadvantage associated with the use of this device is that the device is not provided with clamping elements to clamp the boat to the device. Without clamping elements for clamping the boat to the dolly, the boat may bounce around on the dolly, especially when the dolly traverses rough terrain.
Still other features would be desirable in a boat dolly apparatus. For example, it would be desirable if a boat dolly device can be readily attached to a small boat and be left on the boat when the boat is being transported by a motor vehicle. Also, it would be desirable if a boat dolly device facilitated storage of a small boat in an orientation wherein the boat is resting on one side. In this orientation, the boat takes up much less floor space than when a small boat is stored on its bottom, or upside down on its top.
Small boats come in many sizes, and it would be desirable if a boat dolly device were :adjustable to fit a wide variety of sizes of small boats.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use boat dolly devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a boat dolly apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not require a boat trailer that must be pulled by a motor vehicle; (2) does not require a boat trailer must be stored when it is not in use; (3) does not require a driver of a motor vehicle to be skilled in making turns with a trailer and to be skilled in backing up with a trailer; (4) does not require a boat to be turned upside down when the device is used; (5) avoids the difficulty of balancing a boat on wheels placed at the bow of the boat; (6) does not employ a long handle that serves as a longitudinal support for the boat; (7) does not employ a plurality of ropes that can readily become knotted to each other; (8) is adaptable to a boat which has a single hull; (9) provides clamping elements to clamp the boat to the device; (10) can be readily attached to a small boat and can be left on the boat when the boat is being transported by a motor vehicle; (11) facilitates storage of a small boat in an orientation wherein the boat is resting on one side; and (12) is adjustable to fit a wide variety of sizes of small boats. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique boat dolly apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.